New technology and ways of working is resulting in customers being able to contact South Kesteven District Council in a faster and convenient way than ever before.
The introduction of a virtual operator system has made the difference with callers being–redirected to the service area they need, resulting in a significant reduction in calls going through the switchboard which can add to longer wait times.
In 2022-23, the Council dealt with 897,842 interactions including emails, walk-ins and forms completed via its website www.southkesteven.gov.uk
Cabinet Member for People and Communities, Councillor Rhea Rayside, said: “Figures on customer interaction and call handling show an increase in customer contact in the first half of this year (April to September) and that the number of calls successfully handled has also gone up.
“The introduction of our Virtual Operator system has resulted in a decrease in the number of calls going to our switchboard, meaning customers are being automatically transferred to officers and service areas at first point of contact.”
The virtual operator system allows callers to state the name of the person or the service they wish to speak to, rather than choosing from a series of recorded options.
“The redesign has undoubtedly improved the experience for everyone who needs to contact the Council by phone, resulting in reduced waiting times and improved accessibility,” Cllr Rayside added.
“It is a huge improvement on the previous customer experience and the shift means our switchboard officers are able to get other important work while not routing calls, such as dealing with emails so that we can get responses to customers more quickly.”
Together, the actions and improvements outlined help meet the clear commitment in SKDC’s Corporate Plan to being a high performing council.